SEQC MonthlyJan 2010

QM: Navin Pai

Happy New Year!!

Here’s wishing all you SEQC guys and gals a Happy new year.

Hope this new year brings with it, loads of happiness, luck and of course quizzing!!

General RulesThe QM is always right, unless conclusively proven to be wrong!

Since the QM stinks at math, all scores will be multiples of 5 or 10

Since the QM suffers from “Answer-Jaldi-De” syndrome, time limit for every question will ideally be 7 secs. In some rounds, it may be higher at 12-15 secs

In certain cases, a clue may be included with the question, and the question passed around once again.

The entire quiz shall function on the “bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce-bounce……………………………………………” format

No partiality will be observed, since everyone has equally bribed the QM!

QM is NOT responsible for post-quiz trauma (if any)

Round Uno

The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic. Joseph Stalin

1:

Let’s start with a simple one shall we?

If LASER is Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation andMASER is Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation ,

What is TASER?

Answer

Thomas A. Swift’s Electric Rifle

Named by the inventor Jack Cover,

after the novel written by Victor Appleton.

Gotcha!! (hopefully!! )

2:

The Ouroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon swallowing its own tail. A famous organic chemist claimed that one night he dreamt of the Ouroboros, and that led to his discovery of something huge the next day. What was the discovery?

And for 5 extra points, who was the chemist?

AnswerThe Benzene Ring

The Chemist was of course August Kekule

3:

What does the site TrackGandhi.com, a website which was launched in

January 2007, do?

Hint: The American counterpart of this site is named “Where's George?”

AnswerTrackGandhi is a non-commercial initiative to track the use and spread of Indian Rupee banknotes.

Volunteers enter the location and identification of the rupee notes they observe. This information is collected and will be used for statistical and scientific purposes.

4:

Easy one: What is this phenomenon called?

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ3d3KigPQM

Answer

Flash Mobs

India had it’s taste of a Flash Mob for the first time in 2003, when a Flash Mob assembled in Mumbai.

5:

In Japan, who or what are the Nijuuhibaku???

Possible Hint: There are/were only 165 Nijuuhibaku

AnswerNijuuhibaku= “Twice Bombed”.These are double A-bomb survivors

The number of people killed by the atomic bomb in Hiroshima was more than 80,000. In an amazing story of luck and survival, nearly 200 people lived through the Hiroshima bombing and sought refuge in Nagasaki only to face the same terrible fate 3 days later.

Acclaimed documentary filmmaker Hideo Nakamura told the story of those survivors in Twice Bombed, Twice Survived: The Doubly Atomic Bombed of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

6:

Blabby, Jumpy, Shifty, Snoopy, Awful, Baldy, Biggo-Ego, Biggy, Biggy-Wiggy,Burpy, Busy, Chesty, Cranky, Daffy, Dippy, Dirty, Dizzy, Doleful, Flabby, Gabby, Gloomy, Goopy, Graceful, Helpful, Hoppy, Hotsy, Hungrey, Jaunty, Lazy, Neurtsy, Nifty, Puffy, Sappy, Sneezy-Wheezy, Sniffy, Scrappy, Silly,Soulful, Strutty, Stuffy, Sleazy, Tearful, Thrifty, Tipsy, Titsy, Tubby, Weepy,Wistful, and Woeful.

WTF are these?

AnswerThe actual list of Disney Productions’ 50 early hopefuls for the

names of the Seven Dwarfs.

Round Zwei

Between two evils, I always pick the one I never tried before. Mae West

1:

The Sanskrit name for this syllable is Pranava, from a root nu “to shout, sound, praise”, verbal pra-nu- being attested as “to make a humming or droning sound” in the Brahmanas, and taking the specific meaning of "to utter the syllable" in the Chandogya Upanishad and the Shrauta Sutras. The Mandukya Upanishad is entirely devoted to the explanation of the syllable. Which syllable are we talking about?

AnswerOm

2:

Easy One:

Whose autobiography is named Losing My Virginity  ?

AnswerRichard Branson!!

3:

We all know what “jet-setting” is, now tell me what is “set-jetting”?

AnswerThe trend of people visiting places/countries/locations which have been used as background settings for a movie. A la Bruges, Belgium, Switzerland et al.

4:

This is a poster for Akiro Kurosawa’s movie The Hidden Fortress, made in 1958. In 1974, it inspired a certain director to write a 13 page rough draft, which was expanded to a full script and launched as a movie in 1977. Name The Movie.

AnswerIf the force was with you, you’d get this one right!!

Yeah, It’s Star Wars!!

5:

Shown below is cricketer Sunil Valson (obviously, many years after retirement). What special record does he hold?

AnswerHe is the only player from the 1983 Indian WC winning team

who didn’t play a single game!

6:

Queen Sofia of Spain, Queen Paola of Belgium, Queen Fabiola of Belgium, and

Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg, if they so wish to, can exercise a privilege known as “Privilege du Blanc” or “Privilege of the White”.

What is the “Privilege du Blanc”?

AnswerIt is the privilege to wear white when in a meet with the Pope.

Shown below is Queen Fabiola, excercizing this right, when she met Pope John Paul II, in 2004.

Round Tatlo

Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead. Benjamin Franklin

1:

What was special about these medal winners in the history of the Olympics?• Silver : Jasna Sekaric — Women's 10m Air Pistol• Bronze :Aranka Binder — Women's 10m Air RifleStevan Pletikosic — Men's 50m Rifle prone

AnswerThese were the only medals won by participants at the Olympics who participated as Independents.

This happened at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, where athletes from Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia contested independently.

Macedonian athletes could not appear under their own flag because their NOC had not been formed. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) was under UN sanctions which prevented the country from taking part in the Olympics.

2:

In an acidic solution, the “lawsone” molecule can react via a process called Michael addition with keratin to create a stain. What do we know this process as?

Hint: Lawsone molecule is also known as Henatonic acid.

AnswerMehendi (Henna)

3:

Farokh Bulsara, son of Bomi and Jer Bulsara,Parsis from the Gujarat region of the then province of Bombay Presidency in British India, was born in Zanzibar on 5 September 1946. However he became more famous by a nickname he got at school. Infact there is now a rose named after the nickname....who??

AnswerFreddie Mercury!!

4:

The emblem of the 20th Tactical Air Support Squadron features which famous cartoon character?

Hint: Curse You, Red Baron

Answer

Snoopy!

5:

What connects the following:

Maulvi Ziauddin, a Pashtun insurance agent, Ichiro Okuda,

Matsuda,Orlando Mazzotta, an Italian nobleman

AnswerSubhash Chandra Bose’s Pseudonyms!!

6:

This self portrait is of Nicholas Hilliard, a 16th century painter. Hillard came back into the limelight on March 27, 2008 at 00:07 GMT because of a very special internet-related event that occured. What was the significance?

Hint: quick quick!!

Answer

The Hungarian article on Nicholas Hillard officially became the Ten Millionth entry on Wikipedia, since its inception.

Round Dört

When angry, count to four; When very angry, swear. Mark Twain

1:

First one, again a simple one:

What is the Portuguese term for 'bat'?

AnswerBacardi!!

2:

The 5 books in a series by Wang Dulu:

• Crane Frightens Kunlun• Precious Sword, Golden Hairpin • Sword's Force, Pearl's Shine

• ________________ • Iron Knight, Silver Vase.

Name the 4th book

AnswerCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

3:

What is so official/significant about the phrase :

"The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human."

AnswerThis is the official 160 Character SMS Phrase used for the

Guinness Book of World Records Fastest Texter

On September 5, 2009, Ben Cook set the fastest texter world record by tapping the Guinness Book of World Records phrase on

his 31st attempt in 40.72 seconds!!

4:

In 1999, Lena Katina and Yulia Volkova formed Russia’s most successful international pop act to date. Courting controversy with ostentatious lesbian behaviour in their concerts and pop videos they later admitted this was all an act.

What was the name of this Russian pop-duo?

Answer

t.A.t.u

5:

We all know about Woodstock. But Identify the music festival whose logo is shown below:

AnswerLollapalooza. It’s a music festival that started in 1991, and has

Been taking place every year since then.

(except in 1998-2002 and 2004).

6:

Every year during Wimbledon, Hamish is brought thrice a week to the grounds. His role is as important as that of the ground staff and technicians.What is Hamish’s role?

Answer

Hamish is the harrier hawk who is used to get rid of all the pigeons from the stadium surroundings.

Before you PETA guys start a riot, let me tell you that Hamish has been trained to drives away the pigeons, and NOT to kill them!!

Hamish with his trainer Tanya

Round Vijf

Always have an answer, even if you change your mind five minutes later.Richard E. Grant

Connectamundo!!

Connects range from straight forward to extremely esoteric

Right Answer: +15 pointsAll connects explained correctly: +5 marks

1:

AnswerHeath Ledger

CONNECTS:

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus – Heath’s last movie

Cesar Romero – Who Immortalised the Joker in the 1966 movie

Oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine. –The 6 drugs found in Heath’s system during his post mortem

2:

AnswerEl Nino

Connects:

Sergio Garcia,

Hanley Ramirez,

Fernando Torres

All 3 are nicknamed “El Nino”

3:

AnswerStar TV channels

Connects:

V for Vendetta Channel [V]

Vijay Mallya Star Vijay

World Star World

Utsav Star Utsav

Vishwanathan Anand Star Anand

4:

Answer

Nandan Nilekani

Connects:

Thomas Friedman, author of The World Is Flat, dedicated the book to Nilekani.

Rohini Nilekani- Nandan Nilekani’s wife

Logo of Patni Infotech- Nandan Nilekani’s first company

5:

AnswerDoCoMo!!

Connects:

Docomodake –The Company Mascot

Logo of NTT- The original owners of the Docomo brand

Tata- have a Joint venture with NTT on the Docomo brand name

Everywhere by Tim McGraw –Dokomo means “Everywhere” in

Japanese (One of the explanations for the name Docomo)

6:

Answer

Famous film characters who acted under a tonne of makeup!!

Connects:

Zoë Saldaña –Neytiri (Avatar)

Jackie Earle Haley –Rorscach (Watchmen)

David Prowse –Darth Vader (Star Wars)

Ralph Fiennes –Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter)

Half Time!!

Round Seis

Everybody loves you when you're six feet below the ground.John Lennon

1:

X is a book by Abhijeet Bhaduri, an Indian writer who writes about his MBA at XLRI, Jamshedpur in a very simplistic and yet comical way. Give me the name of the book, which is also an expansion of MBA. The name, according to Bhaduri, signifies what MBA degree pursuers and holders are.

AnswerMediocre But Arrogant

2:

Ilayaraja's song, 'Naguva nayana' from the 1983 Kannada movie, “Pallavi Anupallavi” came back into popular Indian consciousness as what?

AnswerThe “Idea” telecom Jingle!!

Played: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElEk97jwNxU

3:

Though very few of us have been to Switzerland, almost all of us have seen the Swiss mountain named Matterhorn. Where?

AnswerThe Toblerone Logo

4:

What?? Why?? When??

Answer

Taipei 101, lit up with Einstein’s famous equation to mark the beginning of the International Year of Physics, 2005

5:

Shown below are two Hollywood characters wearing, what we in India know as , Nehru Jackets. Why was there a sudden increase in trendiness of the

Nehru Jacket in the west?

AnswerBecause The Beatles wore the Nehru Jacket during their Shea stadium concerts

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfvA6luvdAg

6:

The real name of the company is Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili. However, it was soon shortened to something else.

When Nicola R. bought the company in 1915, his surname was appended, to the company name. How do we better know the company?

Answer

Alfa Romeo

Round Sette

I've got seven kids. The three words you hear most around my house are

‘Hello,' ‘Goodbye,' and 'I'm pregnant'.Dean Martin

1:

It is a roughly 1:1 mixture of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). It gained notorious popularity during the Vietnam War, when it was widely used.

What?

AnswerAgent Orange… Used by the U.S. military in its Herbicidal Warfare program during the Vietnam War.

2:

This 1981 Nintendo video game was the first in which the Italian plumber Mario appeared. What was the name of this classic video game?

Hint: In the game Mario must save his girlfriend from the clutches of an escaped ape who keeps throwing barrels and fireballs at him.

AnswerDonkey Kong

3:

X's Hebrew name is Shabtai Zisel ben Avraham. He was born in St. Mary's Hospital on May 24, 1941, in Duluth, Minnesota. He changed his birth nameto what we are more familiar with. When asked why he changed his name,he said: “You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free.” Give me X.

Hint: Think of the changing times!!

AnswerBob Dylan!

4:

This man was conscripted into the Red Army in 1938, and became a tank driver-mechanic, achieving the rank of senior sergeant. He was seriously injured in the battle of Bryansk. Despite these war credentials, he was known more famously for another of his warfare related contributions. What?

Answer

The dude is Mikhail Kalashnikov, and his contribution of course is the AK-47

5:

Easy one: The first one was built by the Roman of wood, the second one was pulled down in 1831 on account of its poor safety record, the third one was sold toLake Havasu, Arizona in the 1970's and the fourth one still stands. What?

AnswerLondon Bridge!!

6:

Who was the chairman of Real Madrid between 1943 and 1978? He died during the 1978 World Cup and FIFA declared 3 days of mourning in his honour. In 2002 he was posthumously awarded FIFA Order of Merit.

Hint: If you’re a La Liga fan,you’re sure to hear his name on Jan 10th

Answer

Santiago Bernabeu

Round Osm

A long time ago, in a country not so far away, I was eight years old, doing my best Darth Vader imitation.

Hayden Christensen

1:

Easy: Complete the list: Rika Hiraki, Ai Sugiyama, Elena Likhotseva, Mary Pierce, Daniela Hantuchova ___________ and __________.

AnswerMartina Hingis (2006) and Sania Mirza (2009)

Bhupathi’s mixed doubles Grandslam winning partners.

2:

This is the poster of the 1915 film “Birth Of A Nation”

The movie has been under controversy for manydecades now, for glorifying and supporting which radical group?

AnswerThe Ku Klux Clan. The movie was also released in some parts as “The Clansman”. The film is said to have facilitated the refounding of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s. As late as the 1970s, the Ku Klux Klan continued to use the film as a recruitment tool.

3:

Here is a legend of the sea without historical justification :It has often been claimed that the _________ was a holder or storage rack in which cannon balls (or shot) were stacked on a ship. Supposedly when therack with its stack of cannon balls became cold, the contraction of ironcannon balls led to the balls falling through or off of the ________.

What popular phrase is said to have originated from the above legend?

AnswerIt’s cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey

4:

X is an annual event which started as a joke, meant to be a side attraction for the music video festival. The rules are similar to figure skating, especially the 6.0 scoring system. The judging criteria include technical merit, stage presence and airiness.

Sylvain "Gunther Love" Quimene, from France, won the prestigious event in 2009

Answer

The Air Guitar World Championships

5:

A native of the Kalahari desert encounters technology for the first time, in the shape of a Coke bottle. He takes it back to his people, who use it for many tasks. They start to fight over it, so he decides to return it to where he thinks it came from. Which 1980 film from Botswana?

AnswerThe Gods Must Be Crazy

6:

Sitter Of The Day:Originally, this company was named Sanesu Shokai. It’s name was changed to Yoshida Kogyo Kabushiki-Kaisha in 1938.

Today the company has manufacturing facilities in 68 countries. The company is the largest manufacturer of which everyday product?

Answer

Zippers!!

Round Kumi

I was born nine months premature.Jay London

1:

It was the World War II slang for UFO’s. Some say it was a hush – hush group of air force pilots who tried to shoot down UFO’s.

Which band gets its name from the above slang?

AnswerThe Foo Fighters

2:

Astronomers believe that life is most likely to form within the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ) within a solar system, and the galactic habitable zone (GHZ) of the larger galaxy (though research on the latter point remains in its infancy). The HZ may also be referred to as the "life zone", "Comfort Zone", "Green Belt“.

By what popular name is the region also known??

Answer"Goldilocks Zone" (because it's neither too hot nor too cold, but "just right").

3:

Who is this man? What notorious UN related record does he hold?

AnswerHe is V.K. Krishna Menon (shown on the cover of TIME magazine Feb. 2, 1962 )

On 23 January 1957 he delivered an unprecedented 8-hour speech defending India’s stand on Kashmir.

To date, Krishna Menon’s speech is the longest ever delivered in the United Nations Security Council

4:

This is the picture of a famous Malayali filmmaker and scriptwriter. He is recognized as a genius in Malayalam cinema. Considered an avant-garde film director and writer, he completed only four films,all four written and directed by him.

But I personally feel that he’s the most unfortunate guy. Because his name is generally related to someone else, who’s much more popular (in India atleast).

What is the name?

Answer

John Abraham

5:

Joshua Blahyi was a famous Liberian army commander. He was part of the in the First Liberian Civil War in the first half of the 1990s. He was known muchbetter by a unique nickname that he was more famously known for because of the way in which he fought wars. What was this name?

AnswerGeneral Butt Naked!!

Blahyi led his troops naked except for shoes and a gun.

Apparently, he believed that his nakedness was a source of protection from bullets.

I guess it worked, since he’s still alive today. However he’s now changed professions. He’s a preacher now!

6:

There are 2 very significant things about this image. Tell me any one of them.

Answer

1) These are the original members of the parody rock band of CERN. Infact all members are actually scientists.

2) Anyone remember the other major innovation at CERN? The Internet!! This picture was, as per the makers of the Internet, the first image to be put up on the World Wide Web!

Round Tio

Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.Charles M. Schulz

Pick Your Death!!

History(Sort of)

India Movies

Music Comics Business

Tech I’m Feeling Lucky Literature

Slang Sports Current Affairs

History

The picture shows a politician being arrested. Well, sort of. Actually, this was a pig who, led by Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, was declared as the candidate for President of the United States for the Youth International Party (Yippies) during the massive protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Name the pig.

AnswerPigasus

Back

India

Mirzapur is a city in the heart of North India, nearly 650 km between Delhi andKolkata and also equidistant from Allahabad and Varanasi. There are loads of facts about Mirzapur, but frankly, most non-Mirzapurians don’t really careabout most of them. However there is a small clock tower in the center of the city which is important to every single Indian and also to the Global Population.

Why?

AnswerIndian Standard Time (IST) is calculated from the clock tower in Mirzapur which is nearly exactly on the reference longitude of Indian Standard Time at 82.5°

Back

Identify the movie, and its claim to fame.

For 5 extra points, identify the two lead actors

Movies

AnswerMidnight Cowboy. It is the only X-rated movie to win at the Oscars (in1969)

The two lead actors are Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight

Back

Music

Listen to this sample from R&B singer R. Kelly’s track, from the unfinished album Loveland.

A certain sentence has been beeped out. Fill in the beep, and tell me who the song was dedicated to.

Incase U can’t hear it:

I am a river, Down in the valley Ohhh, I am a vision, And I can see clearly If anybody asks you who I am Just stand up tall look 'em in the face and say

I'm that star up in the sky I'm that mountain peak up high Hey, I made it _____________________

And I'm that little bit of hope When my backs against the ropes I can feel it mmm _______________________

Music piece played.

Lyrics provided at the right side

Answer

The beep is “I’m The Greatest”, and the song was dedicated to Muhammad Ali.

Infact it was originally featured on the soundtrack to the 2001 biographical film Ali

Back

Comics

The _________ is a reward given out to fans who get a letter printed in a Marvel comic, which points out a mistake within a series and comes up with a clever excuse for it being printed.

AnswerNo-prize!!

Actually it started out, when Stan Lee ran a contest and mentioned "there will be no prizes, and therefore, no losers.“

Earlier, No-prizes were just that…. No Prizes!! Just an empty envelope!! However, in recent years, No Prizes include Marvel goodies like tees and comic subscriptions.

Back

Business

“The most ineffective workers are systematically moved to the place where they can do the least damage: Management. “

What do we better know this principle by?

And which famous personality came up with it?

Hint: The principle name is also the name of a 1996 bestseller, by the same personality

Answer

1) The Dilbert Principle

2) Scott Adams, of course

Back

Tech

Which product is Jobs talking about?

Note: It’s NOT the iPhone or the iPhone 3G or 3GS

AnswerThe iPhone 3Gi.

The “i” stands for “invisible”. According to Jobs, only the most loyal Apple customers can see the phone!! Basically it’s just a bunch of software updates and tools for the iPhone.

Crazy?? Yeah…. but thousands of customers have already bought the iPhone 3Gi for $600!!

Back

Literature

One of his works faced controversy similar to The Satanic Verses, and like Salman Rushdie, he faced numerous death threats in his lifetime. Stabbed in the neck at the age of 82 right in front of his home, he survived. Amidst constant bodyguardprotection and failing health, he still went on to live another 12 years until 2006.

Identify this remarkable man and the work in question.

Answer

Naguib Mahfouz

Author of Children of Gebelawi

Back

In London, they are referred to as "one-unders". In New York, they are known as "track pizzas". What are we talking about ?

Slang

AnswerPeople who commit suicide by jumping in front of trains on the Underground train service.

Not really an one-under, but couldn’t resist!!

Back

Sports

Ball-girl Chloe Chambers shot to fame after she was called to play a round of tennis with one of the top tennis players in the world in front of more than 10,000 fans at Wimbledon, 2009. This happened after the Michael Llodra, the opponent, had to retire after he crashed into another ball-girl.

Who was this player who brought Chloe into the spotlight?

Answer

Tommy Haas

Back

I’m Feeling Lucky

The Hynek Classification System states that there can be 5 types of ‘contact’ between a human and an alien:

• When you see a UFO within about 150 yards• When you see a UFO in the sky or on the ground and it leaves evidence behind• When a person sees a UFO with visible occupants inside• When the person is unwillingly taken and experimented on inside the alien craft• When there is direct communication between aliens and humans

What are these laws better known to us?

AnswerClose Encounters. The 5 classifications are Close Encounters of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth kind.

Back

Current Affairs

An ax-wielding Somali man breaks into the home of 74 year old ___________. The 74 year old, takes his 5 year old grand daughter and runs into a specially made safe room. Cops arrive 2 minutes later. The Somali threatens the cops. One of the cops shoots the Somali twice, in the hand and the knee. The Somali is taken into custody, and the 74 year old is shifted to an undisclosed location.

Fill in the blank.

Answer

Kurt Westergaard….. The incident was the assassination attemptthat took place yesterday.

Back